Apparatus for producing various sound effects for theatrical and like purposes.



A. H. MOORHOUSE. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS SOUND EFFECTS FOR THEATBIGAL AND LTKE PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 71 1909.

A. H. MOORHOUSE.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS SOUND EFFEGTS FOR THEATRIGAL AND LIKE PURPOSES.

' APPLICATION FILED DEO.7,1909.

1,004,060. Patented Sept. 26, 1 911.

0 SHEETS-"SHEET 2.

A. H. MOORHOUSE; 4 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS SOUND EFFECTS FOR THEA'IRIUAL AND LIKE PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED 18150.7, 1909. 1 1,004,060. Patented Sept;26,1911.

0 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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A. H. MOORHOUSE. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS SOUND EFFECTS FOR THEATRIC'AL AND LIKE PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 7, 1009. 1,004,060. 1 4 Patented Sept.26,1911.

A. H. iaoomaronss. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS SOUN D EFFECTS FOR THEATBIOAL AND LIKE PURPOSES.

Patented Sept. 26; 1911.

6 SHEETS-11331 5.

APPLICATION FILED D180. 7. 1909.

A. H. MOORHOUSE. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VARIOUS'SOUN D EFFECTS FOR THEATRIOAL' AND LIKE PURPOSES.

. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1009. 1,004,060.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY STATES rnirn;

j". UFFlIlllllt APPARATUS FOR IPBODUCIN ARIOUS SOUND EFFECTS FOR THEATRICAL AND LIKE PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26,1911.

Application filed December 7, 1909. Serial No. 531.758.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT HARRISON MoonI-Io'usn, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Victoria Works, Bayley street, Staleyla'idge, in the county of Chester, England, engineer, have invented new and useful Improvements Relating to Apparatus for Producing Various Sound Effects for Theatrical and Like Par-- poses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesvto apparatus for producing various sound effects for theatrical and like purposes, my appa 'atns being particularly advantageous for use in combination With kinematographs and the like for imitating the sounds that would be produced in the scenes that are being depicted.

Thcvobject of my invention is to produce an apparatus as aforesaid which shall be most effective in use and very compact in construction.

The invention comprises the improved combinations and'arrangements oi partt;

hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings, which illust ate an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention :-Figure 1 with 1* is an end elevation partly in section, Fig, 2 with 2" is a plan view partly in section, and Fig. 3 with 3 an elevation looking at the opposite end of the apparatus to that illustrated at- Fig 1.

The same reference letters in the dill'crent' views indicate the same parts.

Upon a frame or stand a made of wood or metal I provide a hex like casing 7) through which passes a spindle (1, having a crank handle d at one end outside the box,- and having arms or tappets e, (2, adjustable in position, for engaging the ends of rocking): levers carrying inverted cup like parts 1 held by springs 71 upon a stone, slate or other surface Asthe spii'idle 1' is rotated the levers f are depress t at one end against: the

action of said springs 72 and released, when j the aft'u'esaid cups 5 which may be made oi hard wood, are hrouglit into contact with the stone or slate surface '5 beneath them, the

e'tlect produced resembling: that oi" a horro- "I preferably provide two sets oi tappets 6 upon said spindle and allow for the latter having a longitudh nal movement for bringing one or other of said sets into position, for operating the rocking levers f aforesaid, or for moving said tappets clear of the rocking lever ends. The two sets of tappets o are so positioned. with respect to one another as to cause the production of an effect resembling either a running or a gallo 'iing' horse. if i wish to imitate the sound produced by a lire engine, I add to the sound of the horse or horses, that of a bell as j which is struck by a lever ou aged by tappcts m. The latte are rotated by a handle n. l may provide each inverted cup like part 5 with a mullled or other hell on its upper end for producing a sound resembling, that produced by he harness when a horse is running. The box 5 may he paddetil and may have a padded lid or cover 0 which can be opened or closed to a greater or less extent according to the intensity ol the sound required to be produced.

Upon spindles p and v actuated by 'handies 7, s, I mount tappets t, 11. which engiige the ends of luths 1,11: which not in the manner oi' bladev springs so that us they are re,

motor horn l, a lot-oinotive whistle 5, an ordinary whistle (l, a poiiceinans whistle T. n sioanu' r s whist lo 8 and one or more rotating disk r-ll'tllS it, the latter producing o. sound resembling the rushing and howling of the wind. All the said inst riunenls are provided with spring controlled valves operrlod-by handlesv it), it). (l ig. 1 through cords z irtl i ll. it will be seen that all the open? .,illlllf4 lrn'ullms urn arranged on the same side i t t of in uppurat us to assist the operator in his n'iuuipuiziiion oi the latter. The motor horn when supplied with air in a gradual manner produt-os a sound ;\'1- !l'|llllli,{ a fog signal at sea.

i provide rod 112 upon which i support several metallic disks lil t-apahlo oi twine; strut-it h) the ends of levers i l operated by tappets 1.5 upon 1: shall rotated by t handle 16, (see Fig. The noise produced by this portion of my apparatus resembles that of breaking pottery or the like. 4

Upon a portion of the frame a I mount a. 5 revolving horizontal drum, or c linder 18-, rotated by a handle 18, and I provide, in coniunction with said drum 18, which is preterably made ct wood with a corrugated periphery 20, two or more bands 21 of strong material. preferably of the nature of card clothing used in the opening of cotton, the back or smooth surface of said bands being adapted to be brought into contact with the drum surface by rotat- 1 ing the'handle 522 which raises the bracket-s 23 so )ortinQ' the ends of 21. A )a-wl and ll a ratchet arrangement 24 when in gear prevents backward rotation of the handle The contact of said bands 21 with the cor- 20 rugated drtun produces a sound resembling the wind. I may also provide a plain wheel or disk which can be brought into or moved out of contact with the surface 20. When parts 34 (hereinafter referred to) are in op- 25 eration and said wheel is rotating in contact ith 20 the sound of the rattle of, the train is added to that of the locomotive.

Upon a hinged board. actuated by a handle 26 l mount a series of short chains 27 30 having their lower ends tree' By causing the chains 2? to come into contact with the oruni 18 as it rotates, a noise can be produced resembling that of the sea or flows back over the shingle, and then, on 331 the breaking of the waves on the sea shore. The combined etl'ects of the chains 27 and bands 21. resemble that produced by a storm at i provide two or more arms 30 having metallic points 3], formed. from short strips of metal. thereon which work in conjunction with the corrugated drum 18 just described. Hair] arms may be securec. upon a hinged board 32. by the n'uwexnent of which they can be caused to engage the surface of the corrugated drum. With this portion of my apparatus 1 can produce a sound similar to that produced by a locomotive when starting. To produce a sound resembling that of a running hn'zomotive l employ corrugated plates 3 (see 3 inoui'iteii upon the drum .18 which rub against metallic points 34. ifornxed from short strips of metal mounted upon a slide 35 which is moved in one direction by a spring 36 and in the other dirwuion by a wire 37 attached to a spindle Pm rotated by a. handle 39 (see Fig. l). The drum 15 also carries arms 40 which can enpage the upper end i l. of a lever, the other end 42 ot which- Strikes sound resembling that produced When a quick tiring- ;run is in action. The box 43 is adapted to hcsl'id into and out of the posilion in which the arm 40 can engage the as it reco'ils u a quicker rotaiitin of 18, a noisereseml'ilinga box 4-3 for giving Looeoee set into action all the hammers 45 will be actuated simultaneously orone after the other. The noise produced by the drum resembles that of thunder or of a cannon in action dependent upon the method of operating the hammers. I provide a hammer 49, operated by tappets 50 rotated by the handle 47, which carries loose metal disks 51,

the effect produced when the hammer strikes the drum resembling that produced by a motor car in motion in which the exhaust discharge is distinctly heard. The shaft 48 can be slid into any one of three positions, in

two of which the hammers 45, and in the other the hammer 49 are or is operated.

For producing the sound of sleighbells, I

place upon a padded roller 52 several bells 53 which, when the roller is rotated back and forth, strike the padded surface. I

I may provide upon the apparatus means for discharging blank cartridges and also other convenient devices that may be found, desirable.

B y the em ploymcnt of apparatus arranged and constructed before described, all the effects usually required for accompanying a kil'ien'latographic exhibition can be produced in. a ready and convenient manner.

I may vary the details of my apparatus to suit anyparticular requirements. If desired I may arrange for it to be operated by one or more electric motors with switches or control handlesfor-the different effects.

Having nmv described my invention, What claim as new and desire to secure by Leters Patent is 1. In combination, a rotating cylinder having a corrugated surface, bands for partly surrounding said cylinder, means for moving said hands into and out of contact with said cylinder, a phu'ality of chains, and

means for moving the same into and out of contact with said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, a rotatin having a, corrugated surface, tlexlole bands,

means for moving said hands into and out of contact with said cylinder, a plurality of chains, means for moving the same. into and out of contact with said cylinder, and brush like metal strips with means for moving the same into and out of contact with said cylindcr, substantially as set forth.

In combination, a rotating cylin'ler cylinder 4 of contact with said cylinder, a plurality of chains, means for moving said chains into and out of contact with said cylinder, brush like strlps with means for moving the same into and out of contact with said cylinder,

corru ated surfaces projecting from said cylinc er, brush like strips for engaging said corrugated surfaces, and means for moving said strips into and out of their service position, substantially as set forth.

A. In combination, a rotating cylinder having a corrugated surface, flexible bands, means for moving said bands into and out of contact with said cylinder, a plurality of chains,'means for moving said chains into and out of contact With said cylinder, brush like strips with means for moving the same into and out of contact with said cylinder, corrugated surfaces projecting from said cylinder, brush like strips for engaging said corrugated surfaces, means for moving said strips into and out of their service position, pro ecting arms upon said cylinder, 11 rocking lever, a striking surface for engagement by said lever, and means for causing the lever to be engaged by said arms," and to strike said surface, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT HARRISON MOORHOUSE. Witnesses:

ARTHUR Huenns, CHARLES CONRAD. 

